Like Roncalli College, Craighead Diocesan is a special character school. And like Roncalli, Craighead has had to close its books to new enrolments for 2025 having reached its roll capacity.

Enough's enough

Roncalli College principal Chris Comeau says the Catholic co-ed school's 520-student roll cap has been reached for 2025.

"The number is consistent with previous years but we have had to decline more applications this year due to lack of capacity" he says.

Comeau says he thinks the increase in demand is due to new families moving into the region, as well as a desire for Catholic education.

In his view it's unlikely that the roll capacity would increase any time soon.

"The only way we would be able to accept more students is if we were granted a roll increase. However, that is unlikely to happen.

"I think we are at the right size."

Room to grow

Timaru's Craighead Diocesan School has not only closed enrolments for 2025, but was directed by the Ministry of Education to reduce its over-subscribed roll.

But it could grow a bit more, principal Lara Hearn-Rollo says.

"We have a roll cap of 380 but we are currently over that cap."

Hearn-Rollo says Craighead is managing reducing the roll at entry points like year 7 and 9. But it's not easy.

"It's really hard [to turn girls away]. Under our enrolment scheme it often means we cannot bring in new families to the school, particularly at year 9."

The school was 20-30 students over capacity.

Hearn-Rollo doesn't see that as an issue. "We've got the capacity. Our auditorium would take 450 and when we look at our buildings the capacity is 450.

"If you've got those bigger numbers it does allow you to have more in the way of options you can offer."

Source

• ODT

Krishna Shah, Alexis Miller and exchange student Oliwia Sobocinska have developed a product to help ease menstrual pain.

What they came up with isn't - as some might think - maybe a soothing tisane or perhaps an app with stretching and relaxation exercises. No.

Their idea is quite different.

They've created purpose-designed leggings.

Aim: resolve everyday problem

The Young Enterprise Scheme is a national competition. The work is all done in the entrants' own time, as no class time is allocated to it.

The year 12 pupils needed something to produce for their Young Enterprise Scheme entry.

They were brainstorming ideas to resolve problems they have in their everyday lives - one of which at that very moment happened to be period pain.

To help relieve it, Krishna was sitting with a heat pack on her stomach.

It was then the concept for their product struck them: they could develop leggings with discreet pockets on the abdomen and lower back in which gel heat packs could be inserted.

While the packs could help with stomach pains and period cramps, a heat pack tucked into the back insert could also help people suffering from lower back pain.

Relieve suffering

Both Krishna and Alexis have had first-hand experience with period pain through polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.

"Due to this, we both know the struggle of having to deal with period cramps in our daily lives" Krishna says.

"We also know that many women have to deal with the same issue in their day-to-day lives."

Alexis — who has endometriosis — has endured a lot of menstrual pain. One period lasted over a month, she says.

The leggings would provide those in pain with comfort wherever they were - at home, school, work or playing sport she says.

"Everyone we've talked to loves the idea."

The leggings could help many women, she says.

"We know that hundreds of thousands of women suffer from painful periods."

The team is getting positive support from their teacher Jordan Hooke and mentor Gavin Hamel. They have been extremely supportive, despite not having had experience of periods.

Alexis says there is "definitely less stigma" around menstruation than in previous decades. The big monthly secret, that was never a secret anyway, is out.

"It happens to half the population" Alexis says.

Follow the team's progress

The Roncalli College team's website will go live when the product is launched Krishna says. Just now though, they are sourcing a fabric and a manufacturer.

She encouraged people to follow their social media accounts at Neoma.active if they wanted to "follow along for the ride".

"We think we have what it takes to win.

"I'm hoping — if it is a success — to continue with it after school" Krishna says.

Source

• ODT

Among the 500 16- to 21-year-olds from 70 different countries attending are Roncalli College pupils Tobias Overbeeke, 17, Lily Holm, 17, Maximilian (Max) Hunt, 18 and Annie Henderson, 17.

Only 20 pupils from New Zealand were accepted to take part in the forum, which begins on July 24.

The Roncalli pupils will each need to raise about $10,000 to attend the event, for which they will spend two weeks at London's Imperial College. Read more

Those who died were just 15 and 16 years old. Two were former pupils of Timaru's Catholic secondary school, Roncalli College.

At Thursday morning's Mass (originally intended to mark the feast of the Assumption), Father Mark Walls said the deaths were a reminder of how precious life is.

"There are no words of sympathy at losing five young lives under such circumstances and I won't try," he told the congregation of Roncalli students, South Canterbury Community College students and members of the Timaru community.

"All I can do is remind each of us that ... our lives - they are not just precious to us, they are precious to all of those who love us."

The mood in the church was sombre with sadness hanging heavily.

Five lit candles, one for each of those who died, flickered in front of the altar throughout the Mass. Year 12 students brought notes of sympathy they had written to Wallace's family and placed them in a basket, so too did members of the rugby team for Hill's family.

They will later be passed on to the boys' whanau.

Walls urged students, many visibly upset, to be comforted by their faith.

"We know what happened but we don't know what led up to it - so we are not in a position to make a judgment."

He said people should instead be thankful that in the boys' short lives, "they passed our way."

Schoolmates of the boys read the Prayers of the Faithful, personalising them for the occasion, praying for those who died and their families.

They also asked for prayers for the young man driving the vehicle, who alone survived the crash, asking the Mass community to "Pray for the driver - may people reach out to him not with anger or judgment, but with compassion."

A candle was lit for Javarney Drummond, Niko Hill, Jack Wallace, Joseff McCarthy and Andrew Goodger.

The Mass ended with Hill's Roncalli under-16 rugby team performing a rousing haka outside the church.

Later on Thursday, hundreds gathered at the Life Church to farewell 15-year-old Andrew Goodger.

Funerals for three of the other teens were held on Friday and Saturday, with the fifth one set for today, Tuesday.

Walls said the whole community is shocked and numbed by it all, and shares the grief of the boys' families.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Source

• Stuff
• Otago Daily Times
• Image:

The $6-million building projects both started last year.

The re-opening of Timaru's earthquake-strengthened Sacred Heart Basilica, included a mass, the confirmation of about 30 children and the presentation of four papal awards.

Sacred Heart Basilica had been closed since February 2019 for about $3.9m of strengthening and upgrading.

Later on Sunday Martin blessed and officially opened the neighbouring parish centre and sports complex at Timaru's Roncalli College.

The $2.4m parish centre and sports complex, which came in about $100,000 below budget, was started in May 2019 and completed earlier this year. It has been in use since May.

The Holy Family Parish and Roncalli College worked together to raise funds to pay for the project.

Located behind the basilica, the complex comprises covered basketball, netball, hockey and futsal surfaces, two changing rooms, two community rooms and an area for spectators.

Roncalli College principal Chris Comeau says the new complex has exceeded his expectations.

"It's fantastic and well used ... students use it at every break."

The facility is also available for community use.

Source

• Stuff
• Image: Stuff

"While I can appreciate their concerns, I think it would be far more effective for all of us to get in behind the visit and take advantage of Mike's high profile to address the issue surrounding mental health," he said.

"After weighing up all the information and researching the Lighthouse Trust, I feel quite comfortable with my decision to host Mike King."

Some schools in South Canterbury have withdraw invitations to King to after after being contacted by SCDHB suicide prevention co-ordinator Professor Annette Beautrais.

SCDHB chief executive Nigel Trainor confirmed they had raised concerns about King's visit with the schools.

However he said, "Since then we have had discussions with Mike King which have highlighted that our goals are aligned."

"We are working with Mike King and will support his visits."

Last year in a TV interview, Beautrais claimed suicide should never be mentioned in headlines or on the front page of newspapers, wrongly attributing this to Ministry of Health Suicide Prevention Strategy reporting guidelines.

In fact, the guidelines urge media organisations to report suicide in a straightforward manner by providing concise and factual information, and to promote help and information services.

King said Beautrais advocated a "silent" approach to tackling suicide. According to King, Beautrais was in one of the last pockets of academia who still believed in trying to bring down the stubbornly high suicide rates by burying their heads in the sand.

National helplines

• Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
• Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
• Healthline - 0800 611 116
• Samaritans - 0800 726 666 (for callers from the Lower North Island, Christchurch and West Coast) or 0800 211 211 or (04) 473 9739 For callers from all other regions

Source

• Stuff
• Image: TangataWhenua

Last week, parents were informed Michelle Denson had been placed on leave for an indeterminate period of time.

In the letter, principal Chris Comeau said that followed an independent report into the English department commissioned by the board of trustees.

Yesterday, school board of trustees chairman Craig O'Connor said there had been a mutual decision to enter a mediation process.

Denson declined to comment.

O'Connor said parents had been kept updated.
Measures were in place to ensure the least amount of disruption to students, especially those preparing for exams. Stuff.co.nz

The Timaru Herald reports that the Ministry of Education recommended to the Education Minister - in one case, Chris Carter, and in the second case, Anne Tolley - that both roll increase applications be declined. The Ministry warned Mrs Tolley late last year that increasing Roncalli's roll would add to the surplus capacity already at other schools, particularly Timaru Girls' High School.

On Monday Roncalli principal Chris Comeau said : "We do not see ourselves in competition with other schools in the area because they all offer a good education. We trade on the fact that Catholicism is at the root of our core business and this is important to our community."

Source
The Timaru Herald

Photo Credit
highschool.gls-community.de